Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 92: I, Mi Shuhua, Lay the Foundation for Luo Chen's Path to Immortality! (Second Update) - Novel Cool

Chapter 92: I, Mi Shuhua, Lay the Foundation for Luo Chen's Path to Immortality! (Second Update)

Chapter 92: I, Mi Shuhua, Lay the Foundation for Luo Chen’s Path to Immortality! (Second Update)

Freelancer, minion, hireling, tool, partner—Luo Chen’s status has subtly shifted with his efforts.

The changes in the Alchemy Hall have been visible day by day.

The group of apprentices, furnace workers, and elixir administrators have gradually become more familiar with their roles.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

At the end of the month, Luo Chen took some time to attend a small internal meeting of the Break Mountain Gang.

The attendees were few: Luo Chen, Mi Shuhua, Mi Junping, the three Combat Hall leaders—Zeng Wen, Luo Wudi, and Yang Wei—along with the two Alchemy Hall executives, Sikong Shoujia and Gu Caiyi.

During the meeting, it was decided that each of the three Combat Halls would provide ten people, with one at the late Qi Refinement stage and nine at the mid Qi Refinement stage. This formed three teams dedicated to serving the Alchemy Hall.

Their responsibilities would include protection, transportation, and some procurement tasks.

At the meeting, Luo Wudi brought up an idea.

"I have a connection in the Snow Lotus Market. It’s a bit risky, but if we can establish it, the profit will definitely be high."

"Fortune lies in taking risks. Why not give it a try?"

The others were somewhat eager to explore this opportunity.

However, upon learning about Luo Chen’s current elixir production, Mi Shuhua temporarily put the idea on hold.

"This month, the Alchemy Hall produced 980 Marvelous Elixirs."

"This quantity can barely meet the demand of the Great River Market. Even if we establish a connection in the Snow Lotus Market, we won’t have enough elixirs to supply it."

"Moreover, the Snow Lotus Market is a harsh and desolate place, not nearly as prosperous as the Great River Market. It’s not worth the effort."

These were Mi Shuhua’s exact words.

Luo Wudi felt a bit disappointed. He had wanted to use this opportunity to elevate one of his brothers, just like Wang Yuan had done in taking on a significant role.

The lack of elixir production limited his plans.

All he could do was encourage Luo Chen to refine more elixirs.

Luo Chen chuckled and promised to try his best.

When the meeting adjourned, Luo Chen, in front of everyone, received four bottles of Qi Nourishing Elixirs from a reluctant Mi Junping.

Luo Wudi, Yang Wei, and the others gaped in surprise.

Didn’t they say he only gets two bottles a month?

When did that kid get a raise?

Could it be that Luo Chen is Mi Shuhua’s illegitimate son?

The subject of these thoughts didn’t care at all.

Let them be envious; this is what I deserve!

Nearly a thousand Marvelous Elixirs a month—that’s about 4,000 to 5,000 low-grade spirit stones!

What does that mean? It can buy 40 to 50 bottles of Qi Nourishing Elixirs, or two high-grade magical artifacts, or even a dozen low-grade magical artifacts.

And that’s just for one month.

A Qi Refinement cultivator’s lifespan is at least a hundred years.

In the long run, as long as Luo Chen continues to produce elixirs, he will bring stable and substantial profits to the Break Mountain Gang.

Therefore, no matter how unwilling Mi Shuhua and Mi Junping are, they have to pay him.

...

Under the dark night sky, Luo Chen sat alone on his bed.

The Grandmaster-level Eternal Spring Art continuously circulated, and the Qi Nourishing Elixirs within his body dissolved, releasing a massive amount of spiritual energy that he absorbed.

Finally, this energy merged with his own spiritual energy.

This process of transformation and absorption lasted for a long time.

The feeling of fullness and abundance persisted.

Until Luo Chen, gritting his teeth, swallowed another Qi Nourishing Elixir.

"Breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement today, I will do it in one go!"

With this thought, he continued the same process.

With the influx of new spiritual energy, the feeling of fullness became even stronger, almost to the point of feeling swollen.

Unconsciously, when Luo Chen finished his cultivation and opened his eyes, his body was already radiating the spiritual energy of the sixth level of Qi Refinement.

"Success!"

After years of effort, he had finally reached the same level as Old Daoist Chen.

Now, among the mid Qi Refinement cultivators, he was among the most powerful.

He glanced at the attribute panel.

【Sixth Level of Qi Refinement 1/100】

Luo Chen’s initially joyful mood turned heavy.

The effect of the Qi Nourishing Elixirs seemed to be diminishing.

At the third level of Qi Refinement, one Qi Nourishing Elixir could increase two progress bars.

At the fourth level, one elixir corresponded to one progress bar.

At the fifth level, it took about two elixirs to increase one progress bar.

And now, after breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement, Luo Chen had calculated through the system that he would need at least five elixirs to increase one progress bar.

A bottle of Qi Nourishing Elixirs only contained ten elixirs.

In other words, to advance to the seventh level of Qi Refinement, he would need at least fifty bottles of Qi Nourishing Elixirs.

That’s a whopping 5,000 low-grade spirit stones!

Moreover, the number of elixirs he could absorb in a day also had its limits.

"Grass! It’s a plant!"

"What I’m doing isn’t cultivation; it’s eating spirit stones!"

Luo Chen, the rat, had become a gold-devouring beast.

His handsome face was now clouded with uncertainty, feeling that something was amiss.

Other low-ranking cultivators don't waste spirit stones like he does!

Is it because of his five-elemental affinity? Or is it because the Grandmaster-level Eternal Spring Technique has opened all his meridians, leading to a higher requirement of spirit energy for his body to break through to new realms?

Or is there another factor?

For a moment, Luo Chen couldn't pinpoint the issue.

All he knew was that he needed to gather as many cultivation resources as possible and find a way to refine multiple elixirs in a day.

Oh, and one more thing.

The effectiveness of the Qi Nourishing Pill is waning, and he seems to be developing a tolerance to it.

He needs to find a new elixir to replace it.

A myriad of thoughts swirled in his mind.

But Luo Chen seemed to have grown accustomed to it.

He methodically planned each step before finally getting out of bed.

"Regardless, breaking through to the sixth level of the Qi Refinement stage is a cause for celebration."

"I should drink a toast!"

Holding a green gourd, he sipped on yellow pear wine as he walked into the courtyard.

The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse.

In the small courtyard, everything was silent except for a figure gently swaying on a swing.

"Caiyi, you haven't gone to sleep yet?"

Gu Caiyi had noticed Luo Chen the moment he stepped out.

She simply nodded and continued to swing.

Suddenly, she blinked.

"You've broken through to the sixth level of the Qi Refinement stage?"

"You caught me, ha ha. Indeed, even a genius, no matter how low-key, stands out like the moon in the night sky."

Luo Chen chuckled.

He thought for a moment, then made a hand seal, guiding his spirit energy along a special path.

The spirit energy that had leaked out slowly recirculated, gathering into the spirit seed he had cultivated within his body.

In an instant, his external spirit energy fluctuations returned to the level of the fifth stage of Qi Refinement.

The Conceal Spirit Technique!

"Caiyi, take another look. What stage am I at now?"

Gu Caiyi glanced at him, her eyes brightening slightly. "Fifth stage of Qi Refinement."

Sure enough, the Conceal Spirit Technique was effective.

Especially over the past month, he had practiced it frequently, reaching a proficient level where he could barely but effectively control his spirit energy fluctuations.

Luo Chen played with the technique, expanding and contracting his spirit energy, enjoying the process.

After a while, he noticed the atmosphere had become as cold and clear as the moonlight.

"Caiyi, what's wrong? Are you upset about something?"

Gu Caiyi sighed. "Don't mind me. It's just that since you joined the Broken Mountain Sect, your realm has advanced so quickly, while my income has drastically decreased. It's a bit worrying."

Luo Chen was taken aback.

Income?

Yes, Gu Caiyi used to earn a good amount of spirit stones each month at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion.

Especially during the opening ceremony of the Lecture Platform, her dance performance had garnered her a lot of attention.

In the following month, she had earned a fortune.

But after leaving the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion?

Even as an alchemy hall overseer, her monthly salary was only a little over a hundred spirit stones.

Sikong Shoujia earned the same, but don't forget that the old man also had the title of elder, which brought in additional income.

Earning a hundred spirit stones a month was already pretty good.

In the inner city, it was roughly equivalent to the salary of a small shop overseer or a large shop supervisor.

But it was far from enough to meet the cultivation needs of a ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator.

With this income, how many years would it take to advance from the ninth level of Qi Refinement to the Great Completion stage?

And how much more time would it take to earn enough spirit stones to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill and break through to the Foundation Establishment stage?

"I'm already thirty-nine years old."

"Although I've always aspired to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, I know it's a fantasy."

"But the Dust Transformation Pill that Fei Baiwen gave me allowed me to advance to the ninth level of Qi Refinement by chance. Now, with just one step away, I'm stuck here due to a lack of cultivation resources."

"I can't accept it!"

"Luo Chen, was it right or wrong for me to leave the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion?"

Listening to her murmurs, Luo Chen was momentarily at a loss for words.

He had jokingly said he would "support" her, which led to Gu Caiyi joining the Broken Mountain Sect and becoming the alchemy hall overseer.

But it was only now that he realized the overseer's salary was far from enough to support her cultivation.

Of course, it wasn't his responsibility. Recommending a job to her was a kind and good deed.

Faced with Gu Caiyi's confusion, Luo Chen could only say:

"While it might not have been the best choice, it was definitely not wrong. The Hua-named Foundation Establishment cultivator at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion has only been there for a couple of months, and I've heard that two or three female cultivators have already died."

Luo Chen casually mentioned these rumors, and Gu Caiyi was momentarily speechless.

Seeing her silence, Luo Chen didn't know how to comfort her.

He and Gu Caiyi were different.

Besides his monthly salary, he also received a share of the profits from the elixirs he refined.

Thinking about this, Luo Chen suddenly realized something.

Uncle Mi Hua and the Broken Mountain Sect were investing more and more into the alchemy hall.

Apart from the few high-ranking members, dozens of mid-to-late stage cultivators depended on the alchemy hall for their livelihood.

If his earnings don’t improve soon, he fears that the group of people who rely on him for meals might start to have issues.

Switch jobs?

Find a side gig?

Gradually become less attentive to the Alchemy Hall’s affairs?

"It seems I can’t delay the Jade Marrow Pill any longer!"

This thought flashed through Luo Chen’s mind.

For others, and more importantly, for himself!

The profit ceiling for the Universal Elixir is ultimately too low.

Only a pill like the Jade Marrow Pill, which aids in cultivation, can truly be a cash cow!

...

...

Today, once again, it was a day to start the furnace and refine pills.

However, before starting, Luo Chen first met with two clerks and three late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators.

These were the experts selected from three battle halls, specifically tasked with leading a team to transport the Alchemy Hall’s pills to designated locations for sale.

A team of thirty cultivators was escorting only a thousand Universal Elixirs.

To be honest, it felt a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

But this was a strict order from the gang leader, and no one dared to voice any objections.

Luo Chen was well aware that this organizational structure wasn’t for the Universal Elixir but for the future Jade Marrow Pill.

Handing over the batch of Universal Elixirs to the three men, Luo Chen casually inquired about their destination.

It turned out that the Mountain Breaker Gang had already rented a small shop in the Inner City, primarily for selling miscellaneous resources from the Ancient Origin Mountains.

Most of those resources were things that major sects and even the Cloudy Commerce Alliance didn’t care much about.

The Mountain Breaker Gang couldn’t process them either, so they simply put them up for sale in the shop.

There were always some independent cultivators who would be interested.

Now, Luo Chen’s Universal Elixirs would become a special product in the shop.

Besides the shop, the South City Independent Cultivator Market and a small store in the Outer City were also destinations for the Universal Elixirs.

After seeing the group off, Luo Chen leisurely entered the alchemy chamber.

Gu Caiyi directed a large group of apprentices to move various processed raw materials into the chamber.

The fire workers also took their positions.

With a grand gesture, Luo Chen declared the start of today’s pill refinement!

Seeing his confident and spirited demeanor, the group of miscellaneous task cultivators couldn’t help but feel envious.

A month of work had numbed them.

Every day, they repeated the same tasks.

Even for cultivators, it felt incredibly dull.

They didn’t realize that, if placed in modern society, they would be like assembly line workers, endlessly repeating monotonous tasks.

As for the future?

Becoming a prestigious alchemist?

Luo Chen had never heard of an assembly line worker rising to become a CEO.

It was clearly impossible here too.

Luo Chen didn’t pay attention to these thoughts. After all, even the fragrant maiden from the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion had spent three years as a fire watcher in her sect.

He simply focused on refining the pills.

Beside him, Milin was busy, occasionally wiping his sweat and passing him a gourd of wine.

Wasn’t she supposed to be observing the pill refinement? How did she end up feeling like a serving maid?

Milin was a bit bewildered.

When did this situation start?

Maybe it was when Luo Chen asked her to buy cucumbers one time?

Though she grumbled inwardly, Milin knew what she needed to do.

She was trying her best to learn and imitate, but after a month, she had made little progress.

When another pill refinement session ended, she knew she had learned nothing again.

Just as she was feeling disappointed, the pill furnace opened.

A dense and intense medicinal fragrance instantly caught her attention.

"What is this?"

A pill the size of a longan, red verging on purple, was gleaming on Luo Chen’s fingertip!

"Superior Universal Elixir!!!"

Milin’s expression was one of shock, and she exclaimed.

The cultivators responsible for the fire all turned to look.

Luo Chen, looking at the superior-grade pill in his hand, showed a look of wild joy, but his heart remained calm.

After refining over a thousand Universal Elixirs last month, his skill had long reached the Master level.

The reason it hadn’t shown before was that he felt the timing wasn’t right.

After all, refining a superior-grade pill right after joining the Mountain Breaker Gang would have been too shocking.

But now, there was no need to hide his true abilities.

For cultivation resources, sometimes one must be a bit bold.

He tossed the superior-grade Universal Elixir to Milin.

She fumbled to catch it, then watched as Luo Chen floated into the stone house built specifically for him.

"I have made some progress today in refining pills. I need to enter seclusion for three days. Do not disturb me!"

With that, the stone door slammed shut.

A layer of shimmering light spread out.

This was a first-tier array that Uncle Mi had specially left for the Alchemy Hall.

Milin stood there, dazed, before remembering something.

Without hesitation, she left the Alchemy Hall and flew toward the Mi family’s territory.

Inside the stone house, Luo Chen gazed through the mountain wall window, his eyes deep and calm, watching the scene unfold.

...

“Come in. What’s the rush?”

Uncle Mi Hua emerged from his secluded meditation.

Usually, there were too many family and clan matters to handle, which had already started to interfere with his cultivation.

Recently, he had finally managed to set up the framework for the Alchemy Hall, and he took the opportunity to start a brief seclusion.

But just two days in, he was awakened by a voice transmission charm, leaving him rather displeased.

Mi Li, unaware of his grandfather’s irritation, knelt before him, holding a purple-red Pill of All Wonders.

“High-grade elixir!”

“Alchemist Luo refined it today!”

With a wave of his hand, the elixir was in his grasp.

Seeing the three purple-red elixir patterns, Uncle Mi Hua was taken aback.

How long has that boy been in contact with alchemy?

At most, it’s been a couple of decades, and he’s already refined a high-grade elixir!

His alchemy talent is truly terrifying!

“Alchemist Luo said he had a sudden insight into alchemy and decided to seclude himself for three days,” Mi Li added.

At this, Uncle Mi Hua could no longer sit still.

“Alchemy insight!”

“Seclusion for three days!”

“He might be able to refine the Jade Marrow Pill after he emerges!”

“Yes, he definitely can. They’re both first-grade elixirs. If he can refine a high-grade Pill of All Wonders, there’s no reason he can’t refine a low-grade Jade Marrow Pill.”

Uncle Mi Hua paced back and forth in the quiet chamber, muttering to himself, his face changing with excitement.

“Even a low-grade elixir would be enough. We don’t need a high price. Set it at a dozen spirit stones, and it will surely cause a buying frenzy among mid-to-late cultivators.”

“A bottle of Qi Nourishing Pills costs a hundred spirit stones; ordinary people can’t afford it.”

“Once he can refine the Jade Marrow Pill, my path to greatness is assured!”

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

“Let’s go to the Alchemy Hall!”

“I won’t allow anyone to disturb Luo Chen during these three days!”

“I will protect him!”

With that, he unleashed his flying light, scooped up Mi Li, and flew out of the Mi Family compound.

...

How was he supposed to pass three days?

Luo Chen was in the stone house, feeling a bit regretful.

The thought of being cooped up in this room for three days made him restless.

It was true that cultivators often secluded themselves for hundreds or even thousands of years.

But in reality, since his arrival, he had never secluded himself for more than a full day.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t trying.

Low-rank cultivators, due to their physical and mental limitations, had a daily limit on how many times they could practice their techniques.

Exceeding this limit would lead to exhaustion and even various side effects.

This situation would only change once he reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

“Fine, with the array formation concealing me, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s spirit sense won’t detect what I’m doing inside.”

“I’ll find something else to do!”

Luo Chen took out a piece of beast skin from his storage bag.

It was the second-grade Blood Fiend Pill formula that Wang Yuan had given him.

He had had it for some time and occasionally flipped through it, but made little progress.

After all, it was a second-grade formula.

“The main ingredients need to be replaced, or I’ll be dead as soon as I start refining it.”

“So, what ingredients should I use?”

“Cultivator’s essence blood? Maybe beast blood could work.”

“Yellow Spring Yin Fiend, that’s hard to find. And I don’t even know how to gather fiendish energy. I need to think about this…”

Luo Chen became engrossed in studying the second-grade formula.

When he occasionally woke up, he would take a Fasting Pill.

When tired, he would switch to a different activity.

He might read the Qingyuan Alchemy Explanation or practice the Spirit Essence Concealment Technique.

Sometimes, he even inflicted minor injuries on himself, like slicing his hand, and then healed it to increase his spell proficiency.

As for the Jade Marrow Pill, which Uncle Mi Hua was so concerned about?

Luo Chen didn’t care at all.

It was a first-grade formula, and he could easily master it with achievement points.

He even planned to master it on the day he emerged from seclusion.

Thus, the three days passed in a flash.

When the array formation disappeared, Luo Chen stepped out of the room.

Seeing the old man waiting outside, Luo Chen felt a sense of time’s fleeting nature.

Is this what it feels like for a cultivator to emerge from seclusion?

Just three days, and it felt like a long time had passed.

If he reached a higher realm in the future and truly secluded himself, would it feel like ages?

As he was lost in thought, an old voice sounded in his ear.

“A man changes in three days; one should look at him with new eyes.”

“You, my young friend, have already broken through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refinement.”

Before Luo Chen could say anything polite, the old man eagerly asked:

“Can you refine the Jade Marrow Pill?”

Luo Chen’s face froze!

Old man, can you at least give me some face and not be so direct?

And now that I’ve broken through, shouldn’t you give me some congratulations?

Spiritual weapons, elixirs, I wouldn’t mind those at all.

(End of Chapter)

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